LONDON: Long protected at Arsenal by FA Cup glory, Arsene Wenger endured his earliest elimination Sunday when his title defence ended at managerless, second-tier side Nottingham Forest.

The decision to rest stars backfired as a 4-2 collapse saw Arsenal knocked out in the third round, when Premier League teams enter, for the first time since Wenger took charge in 1996.

“It hurts even more because it’s a competition we love,” said Wenger, who has lifted the FA Cup in three of the last four seasons and is the 145-year-old competition’s most successful manager with seven triumphs.

While Wenger has endured a Premier League title drought since 2004, success in football’s oldest cup competition has helped the Frenchman to gain new contracts.

The manner of the loss in Nottingham was mortifying for Wenger, who was forced to watch from the stands as he started a three-match touchline ban for misconduct toward a referee.

“They were sharper than us,” Wenger said, “more incisive and more dominant in the challenges.”

American Eric Lichaj was the match-winner at the City Ground with two goals for Forest, who are 14th in the League Championship and without a manager since firing Mark Warburton a week ago.

Earlier, fourth-tier Newport County had staked a claim for the biggest upset of the day with a 2-1 win over former winners Leeds United — substitute Shawn McCoulsky heading a last-minute winner the day after his 21st birthday.

Elsewhere, West Ham United stayed alive with a goalless draw at League One (third-tier) high-flyers Shrewsbury Town and eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur scored three goals in eight second-half minutes to see off the challenge of League One side AFC Wimbledon 3-0.

Arsenal made nine changes to the side that drew impressively with Chelsea on Wednesday, although they still started heavy favourites against a Forest side featuring seven under 23s.

They could have few complaints though.

Lichaj gave Forest the lead and although Per Mertesacker levelled for the visitors, Lichaj scored a stunning volley to put Forest back ahead just before halftime.

Penalties by Ben Brereton and Kieran Dowell sealed victory for caretaker boss Gary Brazil’s side, even if Dowell’s strike caused controversy because it appeared he had made double contact with the ball.

Danny Welbeck had pulled Arsenal back to 3-2.

“This has got to be something we build on,” Brazil, trying to revive the former English and European champions from the lower regions of the Championship, said. “This football club should be playing against the Arsenals of this world, and they should be beating them.”

NEWPORT STUN LEEDS

Hours before Arsenal’s shock loss, fourth-tier side Newport knocked out Leeds, who are 53 places higher in the league ladder in the second-tier Championship.

Gaetano Berardi’s deflected ninth-minute strike had looked like winning the tie for Leeds, who were knocked out by minor league Sutton United last season, but Conor Shaughnessy’s own goal 15 minutes from time set up a thrilling climax.

McCoulsky ensured it was one of the best days in modest Newport’s history with an unstoppable header.

Leeds finished with 10 men after Spanish forward Samuel Saiz was sent off in stoppage time for spitting at Newport midfielder Robbie Willmott.

“This is much better beating Championship teams like Leeds,” said Newport manager Michael Flynn. “I don’t want to be winning relegation battles, I want to be winning FA Cup ties and climbing the table.”

West Ham had goalkeeper Joe Hart to thank for keeping them in the Cup after an uninspired performance against Shrewsbury.

The England goalkeeper, returning to the club where he started his career, made a fine save from Mat Sadler with about 10 minutes to go until the interval and repeated the trick against Alex Rodman.

“The players are a little bit deflated almost,” said Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst. “But we have a replay to look forward to,” he added. “We know it will be tough. They will be at home, more comfortable in their own stadium.”

At Wembley, Harry Kane broke the deadlock against AFC Wimbledon with just under half an hour to go before Kane again and Jan Vertonghen made it 3-0 to put the game beyond the reach of the visitors.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2018